Hole boring or drilling machine



7 Shgets-Sheet l N. M. ERHAHL HOLE BORING OR DRILLING MACHINE Filed June 22, 1933 5 April 9, 1935.

April 9, 1935.

N. M. ERDAHL HOLE BORING OR DRILLING MACHINE Filed June 22, 1933 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 NICHOLH/ M. [Ron/1L.

' April 9, 1935. NI'M. ERDAHL vI'IQI'JE BORING OR DRILLING MACHINE 7 Filed June 22, 1953 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 lV/CHOL fi/ [ED/7111..

p 1935- N. M. ERDAHL. 1,997,108

- HOLE BORING 0R DRILLING MACHINE Filed June 22, 1933 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 REM.

N. M. ERDAHL HOLE BORING OR DRILLING MACHINE April 9,- 1935.

' 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 22, 195:;

pr 935, N. M. ERDAI -lL I Q 3 71 8 HQLE BORING OR DRILLING MACHINE Filed June 22, 3 r 7 Shets-Sheet 6 mag NICHOL m M. inns/14 April 9, 1935. N. M. ERDAHL HOLE BORING OR DRILLING MACHINE 7 She ds-Sheet 7 Filed June 22; 1933 Patented Apr. 9, 1935 UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE.

note some on name mcnms Nicholal M. Erdahl, Edger-ton, Wls., assignor a Highway Trailer Company, Edgerton, W18 a corporation Application June 22, 1933, Serial No. 677,101

6 Claims.

10 so to speak, bearing in mind the practical limitations of length which it is possible to build the single unit type of operating shaft of these machines. v e By the employment of a telescopic or extensible driving shaft structure as embodied in my present invention, wherein the said shaft is made up of a series of nested sections, it is possible to utilize a relatively short assembly of such sections and by the proper operation'thereof obtain the benefit of substantial elongation or extension of the sections one beyond another such that a hole may be drilled or bored of very considerable length substantially equivalent to the extended length of all of the sections of the driving shaft when by their telescopic movement they have shifted longitudinally the maximum distance of their extension movement.

A machine for the purposes of this invention is useful in many ways in industries, as for instance in gold mining operations as a means of prospecting placer deposits; in coal and iron mining for sinking test holes; in oil fields for 1 drilling cellars in the preparation for erecting Y the rotary oil well drills; in structural building for work in boring holes for foundation structures, and in many other places in the field where holes are to be made of more or less depth, as for the emplacement of telegraph or electric light poles or the like, and other purposes.

In carrying out my invention I utilize not only a novel construction of boring shaft and auger supporting shaft associated therewith, the boring shaft made up of a plurality of interlocked or intersplined driving and driven sections, but additionally I employ novel mechanism for controlling the raising or collapsing movement of the boring shaft sections after they have become loaded with dirt or other material in which the drilling is being performed.

Additionally, there is provided control mechanism not only for the driving of theboring shaft sections and auger member which is connected therewith and driven thereby, but for other operations of these parts in theifpractlcal use in as both the drilling or boring action, and the retrieving or withdrawing operation, relatively to the work in which the hole is being drilled by means of the mechanism.

In the drawings Figures 1 and 1d are side views of a boring or 6 drilling machine embodying the invention.

Figures 2, 3, and 4 are fragmentary views partially broken away and shown in partial section and partial elevation, of the several sections of theboring shaft, andthe auger shaft associated 10 therewith, it being understood that in practical use these various sections are in alignment, but by reason of the limitations of .the size of these drawings they are shown separately disposed for convenience of presentation.

Figures 5, 6, 7,8, and 9 are horizontal sectional views taken on the lines 5-! of Figure 2, 6-6, 'II, 8-8 of Figure 3, and 8-9 of Figure 4, re spectively.

Figure 10 is a view showing in elevation the upper main driving section of the boring shaftv and showing in section the drive gearing and some other associated. parts by which the said driving section is rotated at proper speed for the drilling operation.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary view primarily in side elevation, illustrating the operating means for efl'ectingthe various actions involving the driving rotation of the boring shaft, the raising of the boring shaft sections and the auger associ- 3Q ated. therewith by telescopic collapsing movement to shorten the same as required in withdrawing the working tool from the hole in which it is operating, together with certain of the control mechanism for forward-and reverse actions of the gearing parts that control the above operations.

Figure 12 is a horizontal sectional view through the hoist drum mechanism including the operat said drum.

Figure 13 is a vertical sectional view of the boom sheave casing-and cable sheave mounted therein, over which the hoisting cable for the boring shaft and auger means operates in the raising and lowering of these parts by collapsing telescopic and extending telescopic operations, respectively.

Figure 14 is .a sectional view of the driving member for the main or driving section of the boring shaft, said view illustrating the removable and reversible sections of the driving splines carried by said driving member, also showing the screw collars that hold the driving splines. in proper position on the driving member.

Figure 15 is a top plan view showing more clearly the parts illustrated in Figure 14. a

Figure 16 is a view in elevation of one of the driving splines of the driving member, said spline comprising complemental scarfed sections permitting of separation, removal, replacement, and reversal of said parts in order to reverse the said parts, the reversal being for the purpose of bringing a fresh driving side of the spline into action after the previously used driving side has become somewhat worn.

The several mechanisms of my boring or drilling machine will be described in order of their importance, and then the general operation of these several mechanisms in the practical use of the machine willbe set forth.

Telescopic or extensible boring shaft assembly For an understanding of the parts now to be described, reference is made particularly to Figures 2 to 9, Figure 10, and Figures 14 to 16 inelusive.

Referring first to Figures 2 to 4, Figure 2 illustrates the uppermost, main driving section of the boring shaft assembly, designated I, the same being equipped at its lower end with driving splines 2 interiorly thereof. The main driving section I, as well as the telescoping sections cooperating therewith, are of tubular cross section and therefore the driving splines 2 at the inner lower end of the said section I are preferably arranged in spaced relation and formed ofarc or sector shape and riveted, welded, or otherwise secured to the part I. Cooperating with the main driving section I of the boring shaft and disposed to telescope therein, is the driven section 3 of tubular form, as stated above, on the outer side of which are provided a series of spaced driven splines 4 between which driven splines the driving splines 2 of the section I are adapted to slide incident to the telescopic extension and contraction movements of the sections. Thus the rotative movement of the section I is communicated to the driven section 3 by the engagement of the driving splines 2 with the driven splines 4.

Figures 3 and 4 show that a second driven section I, of a form similar to the sections I and 3, and telescoping in the section 3, is availed of, the section 5 being equipped on its outer side with a series of driven splines 8 like the splines 4, en-

gaged and acted upon by driving splines I carried by the lower end portion of the hollow or tubular driven section 3.

tioned sections I, 3 and 5, except that its lower end isdesigned for carrying a solid auger shaft,

later to be set forth, the same telescoping therein. Such sections are illustrated for the purposes of the invention, and the number of the sections depends upon the operating length desired to be obtained in the use of the boring or drilling device. Upon the operating length of the boring device depends the working depth to which a hole or opening may be drilled in the earth or elsewhere, depending upon the particular use of the invention.

Now it is desirable and necessary to use some means for preventing separation of thesections I, 3, 5, and 5a from each other in their extensible movement. Withthis' in view, the upper end of the inner driven section 3 is equipped with a stop collar 3 arranged to abut or engage with the upper ends of the driving splines 2 of the section I. In like manner the sections 5 and 5a of the boring shaft are equipped at their upper ends with stop collars 9 and 9a, respectively, adapted to abut the upper ends of the driving splines 1 of the section 3, and la of the section 5, respectively, and the extensible movement of the sections 3 and 5 and 5a, in relation to each other and the similar movement of the section 3 in relation to the section I, will be limited by the abutment action between the parts 8 and 2, the parts 9 and I, and the parts to and la, in an obvious manner. the lower end of each of the sections I, 3, 5, and 5a there will be provided a reinforcing collar or annulus III, the same surrounding and directly contacting with the sections 3, 5, and 5a, and abutting against the lower ends of the driven splines of the various-sections. The main driving section I of the boring shaft is provided on the outer surface thereof with driven splines I I, the purpose of which will appear more fully later herein. The collars I are held in place by one or more headed screw members and form reinforcing members for the sectional, 3, 5, and a. The collars III perform the function of stop members limiting the collapsing or contracting movement of the sections with relation to each other, as well as serving to reinforce the sections and prevent the lower end of each telescoping section.

from opening up or expanding under stresses or pressures produced by load. The cap screws for the stop collars III are designated "Ia and may screw directly into threaded openings in the sections I, 3, 5, and 5a, if desired, or through sections I, 3, 5, and 5a, and into the respective driving splines on said sections.

The boring shaft assembly includes an auger drive'shaft I2, see Figure 4, the same carrying the auger I3 removably attached thereto by the cotterpin held crosspin I4. The auger shaft I2 is preferably square or poly-sided in cross sectional formation and is suitably mounted and held in the lower end of the driven section In of the tubular boring shaft assembly. Within the lower end of the driven section is aforesaid are the driving members I5 consisting of externally arc-shaped parts having flat sides to engage thecorresponding sides of the square auger shaft I2, the several members I5 being four in number, one for each side of said auger shaft and being riveted as at it within the shell or body of the tubular section 50 at its lower end, a suitable reinforcing collar III, as previously mentioned, being employed at this portion of the section 5a. The auger shaft I2 is connected by a wedge-shaped pin II with a stop collar I8, the pin I'I passing through the upper end portion ofthe shaft I2 and the said collar II, thus locking the two together and abutting the upper extremities of the parts I5. The upper extremity of the shaft I2 is turned to form a round stem I9 threaded at its upper end to receive a nut 20'and engaging in the swivel yoke 2 I,

there being provided ball or roller bearings 22 between the lower end of the yoke2I and the nut 20. The upper end of the yoke 2i has the lower end of a cable 23 suitably attached thereto as shown at 24. The shaft I2, by reason of the mode ofits assembly upon the driven section in of the boring shaft will turn or rotate with said section in andl will in this manner have its driving or boring force applied thereto. During the rotation of the parts 5a and I2, the yoke 2 I may remain stationary by reason of the ball bearing connection provided by the bearing 22 intermediate the yoke and the upper end of the square shaft I2.

The cable 2: previously mentioned, is a hoisting cable, and passes upwardly from the swivel yoke 2 I through the several boring shaft sections 1, 3, 5, and 5a, over a boom sheave 25, to a suitable hoisting drum to be later described as to its construction and operating parts therefor.

With the foregoing description of parts in mind, it is evident that if rotation be imparted to the uppermost main driving section I of the boring shaft assembly, the driving splines 2 thereof will operate the driven splines 4 on the exterior of the driven section 3 to rotate the latter. Likewise, the rotation of the section 3 is imparted to the section 5 through the driving splines I on the interior of the section 3 engaging the driven splines provided on the exterior of the section 5. The driving splines on the interior'of the section 5 are designated 1a and transmit the rotative force from the section'5 to the exterior driven splines lb on the section 5a, the latter directly driving the auger shaft l2, all as will be clear from the foregoing description.

Drive mechanism for the boring shaft assembly Reference is made now to Figures 10 to 16 inclusive for an understanding of the mechanism by which the boring shaft is operated. The upper end or main section 4 of the boring shaft assembly is mounted in a sleeve-like driving member 26. see Figure 10, said driving member being illus trated more adequately in Figure 14. This driving member 26 is equipped interiorly thereof with a series of driving splines designated a. b, and 0. each of said splines consisting of complemental scarfed sections 21 and 28, see Figure 16. The section 21 at its upper end has a flange 21' and the section 28 has at its lower end a similar flange 28'. It is intended that each of the splines a, b, and 0 shall be detachably mounted in the driving member 26 and for this purpose the splines are held in place by means of a screw ring or collar 26 at the upper end of the member 26, and a somewhat similar screw ring or collar 30 at the lower end of the member 26. The screw ring or collar 30 is preferably of the split type with its ends adapted to be connected by a bolt 3! passing through apertured lugs 32, said part 36being thus contractible by tightening the bolt 3| to cause it to clamp around the lower end of the member 26 in a self-evident manner. The splines a, b and c are interlocked with the driving member 26 by forming at the upper and lower ends of said driving member, recesses or grooves in which the flanges 21' and 28' of the scarfed sections 21 and 26 of each spline may be seated. In this way a very effective interlocking of each spline a, b, and c with the driving member 26 is obtained; and the scarfed engagement provided between the sections 21 and 26 as shown at 33 affords a long bearing engagement between said parts. The mounting of the splines a, b and c is such that when the driving bearing edges of the splines which engage external splines II on the main driving section 'I of the boringshaft assembly, have become worn more or less, each spline a, b, and 0 may be reversed end for end withinthe driving member 26 and thus bring into action the fresh or unused bearing edge or the side of the spline that transmits the driving force to the cooperating bearing edge or side of, the splines H on the member I. To accomplish the above, all that is necessary is to remove the screw rings or collars 29 and 30, remove the splines a, b, and c bodily therefrom, and then replace the said covers 35b, the housing being supported by means of trunnions 36 in the frame parts A so that it may be rotated to a limited extent to tilt or partially rotate the driving member 26 to vary the.

angularity of the latter in relation to its supporting' frame A for the purpose of causing operation,

of the boring shaft device and auger means at different anglesto the vertical or horizontal, so to speak. Likewise, this variation in the angularity of the driving member 26 is designed to tilt the boring shaft assembly with its auger from a vertical position or positions intermediate the vertical and horizontal, to approximately a horizontal position wherein the device would be positioned generally when out of use or when being transported from one place to another, The trunnions 36 therefore carry the housing 35a and the driving member 26 for the tilting action above mentioned, whereby the variations in angularity are secured, and in order that the driving member 26 may be driven rotatively whilst-carried by the housing or casing 35a, there are provided roller bearings 31 intermediate suitable races 38 carried by the driving member 26, and races 39 carried by the covers 35b. Surrounding the driving member 26 is a driven gear 40 bolted or otherwise secured to a flange 4| integral with the driving member and said driven gear 40 of the bevel type is meshed with a driving bevel gear 42 carried by a stub shaft 43 on which is mounted a sprocket gear 44 to which rotation is imparted by means of a sprocket chain 45, see Figure 10. Any suitable power control means for application of power to the sprocket chain 45 maybe availed of. The stub shaft 43 is co-axially mounted respecting the trunnions 36 for the housing or casing 35a, and covers 35b on one of which a boom housing 35 is mounted and any suitable bearings are provided intermediate the frame parts A and the said trunnions 36, these being immaterial to the invention.

For the purpose of swinging the driving member 26 and the boring shaft assembly parts and auger carried thereby, movement is imparted to the housingor casing 35a to shift it to angular positions about the trunnions 36 as an axis, and with the above in view, there are secured to the trunnion portions of the housing, a pairof sector gears 46, which gears have their teeth in mesh with a spur gear 4'! shown in dotted lines in'Figure 11, carried by a shaft 48on which is-likewise supported another driven spur gear 49 that meshes with a driving spur gear 50. The driving spur gear 50 is carried by a shaft 5| which is operated by suitable worm gearing, not shown, but largely housed within a gear casing 52, see Figure 11, said worm gearing being operated by a driving shaft 53 which is actuated in any suitable manner from an engine or motor that may be carried adjacent to the entire mechanism just described upon a truck or vehicle of some sort which will be utilized to support the boring or drilling mechanism of the invention. Any suitable clutch mechanism may be employed to drive the shaft 53 whenever desired in order to positionthe sectors 46 as re-. quired to give the necessary and desired angularity to the driving member 26for the purposes set forth. Of course, the worm gearing in the casing 52 affords a self-locking action for the gearing parts connected with the gear sectors 46, this being the well known action of worm gearing of the class referred to.

Mounting between boring shaft assembly and I boring shaft driving member I mounting means is seen best in Figure 10, and previously there have been described the driving splines a, b. and'c carried by the driving member 26 interiorly thereof. The uppermost section tioned, and these splines are inter-engaged with the driving splines a. b, and c on the driving member 26 in the manner shown in Figure 10, the driving member 26 surrounding the section I and the rotative force imparted to the member 26 being in this way imparted to the driving section I. Atits upper end the driving section. is equipped with a head Ia, seeFigure l0, and intermediate this head and the upper screw collar or ring 29 of the driving member 26 is disposed the supporting spring 54.. This supporting spring is designed to take up shocks incident to the downward movement of the boring shaft assembly.

Boring shaft assembly elevating means Previous reference has been made to the cable 23 which is utilized for raising the loaded auger l3. said cable 23 passing through the uppermost driving section of the boring shaft. The cable 23 is trained over a boom sheave 25 on the boom sheave housing 56 which is carried by the boom housing 35, previously described. From the sheave 25 the cable 23 passes to a cable winding and unwinding drum 51, see Figure 12, said drum being rotated upon a shaft 58 and being equipped at its opposite ends with the high speed driven gear 59 and the low speed 'driven gear 60. A countershaft 6| carries a high speed driving gear 62 and a low speed driving gear 63' loose thereon and arranged adjacent to clutch members 64 and 65 respectively, for said gears 62 and 63. The

' clutch members 64 and 65 arekeyed to the shaft 6| and are'shiftable by a clutch shifting slide 66 which may be manually operated in any suitable manner. By moving the clutch member 64 into engagement with thegear 62, high speed action may be imparted to the drum 51 and in the alternative by moving the clutch 65 into engagement with the gear 63, low speed action will be ir arted to said drum. The high and low speed of the cable winding and unwinding drum may be utilized for pulling the auger and boring shaft out of a hole which has been drilled and the low speed drive is especially adaptable under circumstances where insuflicient power is available by the high speed drive to remove the auger from a hole. The low speed drive has the further advantage that the auger and telescoping shaft are slowly moved out of the hole without disturbing the formation of the earth surrounding Miscellaneous features It is notable that the splines a, b, and c in g the driving member 26 are virtually driving secreally constitute clamping members for holding the driving sectors a, b, and c in place within the driving member 26. The driving member 26 being supported by a pair of tapered roller bearing assemblies as described, is adapted for free rotation on the application of driving forces thereto by the gearing employed for this purpose.

The boom member or housing 35 is of sufficient height or length to permit the telescoping driving and driven sections and auger shaft of the boring shaft assembly to be lifted clear out of the hole made thereby and elevated as much as two or three feet above the ground level on which the machine which carries the mechanism of the invention is supported. When the auger shaft and the auger |3 are elevated above the surface of the ground, they may be rotated of course at such a speed-as to remove the dirt loaded thereon by centrifugal force, or the loaded material on the auger may be' removed manually or otherwise. The bumper spring 54 is carried on the upper screw ring or clamping member 29 and is designed to offset the shock on the boring mechanism when the boring shaft assembly is dropped quickly to its work or into the hole which is being bored and from which the dirt or material in which the bore is being made is removed by the intermittent raising of the auger through the action of the lifting cable 23. It is preferred that the power plant for my machine shall consist of a motor having a variable speed transmission of the automotive type with the necessary friction clutch for transmitting power to the boring or drilling devices through the drilling gear 42. The details of such mechanism are not material to this invention. The shaft 6| is driven by a sprocket 61 and chain 68 and it is contemplated that the drive chain 68 for the hoisting drum 51, the drive chain 45 for the driving gear 42 of the boring mechanism. and the drive shaft 53 for the boom raising and lowering mechanism shall all be directly driven from the power plant of the machine, which, if desired, may be mounted upon the main supporting members A or chassis of the machine. For transportation of the machine from one location to another in the field, itis contemplated that the mechanism of the invention as herein described maybe carried by an automotive type truck, or crawler type tractor, or any other suitably powered chassis, or an especially designed travelling mechanism rolling either on wheels or crawler tracks to be availed of In assembling the telescoping and extending boring shaft assembly, the upper driving member or section I is inserted into the driving member 26 and then the lower stop and reinforcing collar III is applied thereto. Next the driven section 3 is inserted into the driving section of the shaft and the stop or reinforcing collar I is applied to the lower end of the member 3. Thereupon the driven section is inserted into the section 3 and its corresponding member III is applied to its lower end, and so on, with respect to the hollow sections of the boring shaft assembly. The swivel yoke 2| and roller bearing assembly 22 is then attached to the square auger shaft 12 and the member 5a inserted in the member 5, after .which the stop element l0 on the member 5a is placed in position. The auger or boring bit I3 may then be attached to the auger shaft l2.

Operation of the machine When the power is applied to the winch or hoisting mechanism, including the drum 51, the cable 23 is adapted topull up on the part I2 until I the hub of the auger or bit I! strikes the stop the stop collar ID on the next section 5 above, and

so on, until the uppermost section I of the boring shaft is finally lifted with the previously elevated sections and thus the auger or hit l3 will be raised ultimately out of the hole in which the boring shaft and auger are operated. When the various telescoping members I, 3, 5, and 5a. and I2 have been completely telescoped or collapsed together, and the member I lifted therewith upwardly to the extreme upper position that may be assumed thereby in the boom or boom housing- 35, the stop collar III at the lower end of the section I will strike the rotating driving member 26 of the drive mechanism and thereby prevent any further forward movement. In causing the boring shaft assembly to go into action, the lifting force on the cable 23 is released and the auger shaft 12 with the auger l3 drops to the ground or into the hole which may be already in progress of formation, and gradually the sections of the boring shaft assembly extend themselves automatically by gravitative force of the weight of the same, due to the freely slidable mounting of the parts one upon the other.

When the boring shaft assembly has been elevated out of the completed hole .drilled thereby, driving force applied to the shaft 53 may be availed of to turn the boom member 35 into an approximately horizontal position along with the telescoped sections of the boring shaft assembly and in such position the machinery may be transported to another location for starting new work. The extent ofshifting of the boom member and assembled boring shaft. sections will depend upon the working radius of the toothed sectors 46 in an obvious manner.

Having thus descrilpd my'invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

' 1. In a boring machine, in combination, a driv-' ing member, a boring shaft assembly comprising a plurality of relatively longitudinally slidable sections adapted to extend one beyond the other in their working movement, the uppermost of said sections having an abutment head cooperative with the driving member, instrumentalities for drawing the sections together by collapsing movement along one-another toreduce the length of the boring shaft, a driving connection between the driving member and, said boring shaft sections, the driving connection aforesaid permitting relative sliding movement of the driving shaft sections upon the driving member, and spring buffer means between the said section head and driving member, to absorb the shock of the pull of the boring movement of the driving shaft sections in one direction relatively to the driving member.

2. In a boring machine, in combination, a hol-' low drivingv member, a boring shaft assembly mounted therein, driving" connections between said driving member and said boring shaft assembly enabling relative longitudinal movement of the assembly upon the driving member, and a buffer spring interposed between said boring shaft assembly and the driving member for absorbing complemental sections reversibly mounted on the driving member in relation to the splines carried by the boring shaft assembly to bring fresh driving portions of the driving sectors into action in relation to said splines.

4. In a boring machine, in combination, a support, a hollow driving member mounted on said support, drive gearing for rotating said member, a boring shaft mounted within said member and having external driving splines thereon, and reversible driving members carried by the driving member to engage said driving splines of the boring shaft for actuation of the same.

5. In a boring machine, in combination, a support, a hollow driving member mounted on said support, drive gearing for rotating said member, a boring shaft mounted within said member and having external driving splines thereon, and driving sectors carried by the driving member to engage said driving splines of the boring shaft for actuation of the said, said driving sectors being composed each of complemental sections reversibly mounted within the driving member for the purpose set forth.

6. In a boring machine, in combination, a support, a hollow driving member mounted onsaid support, drive gearing for rotating said member, a boring shaft mounted within said member and having external driving splines thereon, driving sectors carried by the driving member to engage said driving splines of the boring shaft for actuation of the same, the boring shaft having a head, the engagement of the driving sectors and driving splines aforesaid permitting sliding of the boring shaft within the driving member, and a resilient shock absorbing means interposed between the driving member and the head of the boring shaft for taking up shock of movement -of the boring shaft in boring direction relatively 

